Kinesiotaping Versus Physiotherapy for Post-Covid-19 Back Pain

NCT07744451 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: MedipolU-961
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 33
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

Objective: This study aims to compare and evaluate the effectiveness of kinesiotaping and traditional physiotherapy methods, which are frequently used in the treatment of musculoskeletal diseases, on mid-back pain (MBP) developed after COVID-19. Study Design and Methods: Patients aged 18 or older who have been diagnosed with COVID-19, have completed their medical treatment, and whose isolation period has ended are included in the study. The patients' age, sex, and body mass index (BMI) are recorded. The participants are assigned to receive one of two interventions. In the first group, kinesiotapes are applied and left on the patient's back for a total of 10 days. The second group is treated with traditional physiotherapy methods, specifically Vacuum Interferential Current Therapy and Hot Pack Therapy. Clinical evaluations are performed using the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), Pain Quality Assessment Scale, LANSS Neuropathic Pain Scale, and Nottingham Extended Activities of Daily Living Index. Measurements are taken at two time points: baseline (pre-treatment) and at the end of the 10th day (post-treatment).,

Conditions

Post-COVID-19 Syndrome; Back Pain; Musculoskeletal Pain

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Pain Intensity assessed by Visual Analogue Scale (VAS)

  The Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) is used to evaluate the patient's mid-back pain intensity under three conditions: at rest, at night, and during activity/exercise. The scale is a 10 cm line where 0 represents "no pain" and 10 represents "the worst imaginable pain." Higher scores indicate greater pain severity.

  Baseline (Pre-treatment) and Day 10 (Post-treatment)

Study Arms (2)

Physiotherapy Group

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

Patients in this group received conventional physiotherapy, including 20 minutes of Hot Pack Therapy and 20 minutes of Vacuum Interferential Current Therapy (100 Hz). Daily sessions lasted 60 minutes and included home-based ROM and stretching exercises.

Procedure: Conventional Physiotherapy

Kinesiotaping Group

EXPERIMENTAL

Patients in this group received Kinesio Tape (Kinesio® Tex Tape Gold) applied to the bilateral erector spinae muscles starting from the T12 vertebra level. The tape was renewed once every three days for a total treatment duration of 10 days.

Device: Kinesiotaping

Interventions

Conventional Physiotherapy PROCEDURE

Application of hot packs and vacuum interferential current therapy using diagonally placed vacuum electrodes (Intelect Mobile Combo®, USA) to encompass the pain area.

Physiotherapy Group

Kinesiotaping DEVICE

Application of 5x5 cm Kinesio Tape with a slight stretch of approximately 10 to 15% on the painful back area during trunk flexion and contralateral rotation.

Kinesiotaping Group

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years+
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• Patients aged 18 years and older.
• Patients experiencing mechanical mid-back pain (MBP) that developed after recovering from a confirmed COVID-19 infection.
• Volunteering to participate in the study and providing written informed consent.

You may not qualify if:

• History of previous spinal surgery or spinal trauma.
• Presence of structural spinal deformities (e.g., severe kyphosis or scoliosis).
• Presence of radicular pain, neurological deficits, or suspected disc herniation.
• Active infection, malignancy, or severe systemic inflammatory diseases.
• Known skin allergy or dermatological conditions preventing the application of Kinesio Tape.
• Pregnancy.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Medipol University: lead

Study Sites (1)

Istanbul Medipol University Pendik Hospital

Istanbul, Turkey (Türkiye)

Location

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Post-Acute COVID-19 Syndrome; Back Pain; Musculoskeletal Pain

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

COVID-19; Pneumonia, Viral; Pneumonia; Respiratory Tract Infections; Infections; Virus Diseases; Coronavirus Infections; Coronaviridae Infections; Nidovirales Infections; RNA Virus Infections; Lung Diseases; Respiratory Tract Diseases; Post-Infectious Disorders; Chronic Disease; Disease Attributes; Pathologic Processes; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms; Pain; Neurologic Manifestations; Signs and Symptoms; Muscular Diseases; Musculoskeletal Diseases

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: SINGLE
• Who Masked: OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
• Masking Details: To minimize bias, the researcher who performed the baseline and post-treatment clinical assessments (VAS, NEADLS, LANSS) was blinded to the patients' group allocations.
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Asst. Prof. Dr.

Model Details: Eligible patients were randomly assigned to either the Kinesiotaping group or the Physiotherapy group in a 1:1 ratio for parallel interventions lasting 10 days

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: July 28, 2026
• First Posted: August 4, 2026
• Study Start: January 1, 2021
• Primary Completion: April 11, 2021
• Study Completion: April 11, 2021
• Last Updated: August 4, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-08

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

TU (1)